control engineering in communcations and wind energy

[pablodon]

hi all, I have a question which i hope is in the correct forum. I am Qualified electrician which returned to college and done a Ordinary degree in electrical energy systems(power).I have recently been offered a job in a company which operates in the communication and wind energy industries. However i have decided to return to college and complete my honours degree,The company have said the will give me work placement. I have to decide whether to major in control or power engineering for my honours.I am just wondering should i stick with power or is there control engineering used in these industries. Thanks in advance Pablo.

 

[IRstuff]

Just about everything requires a control system, even my coffeemaker.

I would think that power engineering is only applicable to power systems, but control engineering is applicable for almost everything from Keurigs to the servos that steer wind generators.

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[LiteYear]

Power is fast colliding with control. I've just returned from a course on IEC61850 run by an industry group set up to attract engineers to the power profession. Yet the course was mostly about control - devices for power applications are becoming smarter, so less work will be done calculating burdens and wiring up a substation, and more work will be done on integrating I/O and making smart decisions based on that data.

I think control would be the specialisation with the broadest appeal over the course of your career, but power is in heavy demand in the shorter term. Control is a hot academic topic, power is a fast becoming a lost skill as the experts retire.

By the way, there's a few more forums that would be more appropriate. Here's one example:

http://www.eng-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=731

 

[dV8r]

Two things to keep in mind.
1. Power is a proven technology, not likely to change much in your life time.
2. Control is still a dynamic field changing all the time.

So, if you like learning and working with new stuff, go Control else stay in power.
YMMV

 

[dV8r]

Also...

Keep in mind that liking what you do is as important or even more so than making a little extra money at it.

 

[Extrospector]

Pablo,
All of the above advice is good. You will find that "Specializing" has its benefits as well as its drawbacks. To specialize within a career field can earn you more money if there is high demand for a particular skill and fewer people to fill the positions, however without other credentials, education and training, you may find yourself stuck in a position without other opportunity if you should choose to make a move. Therefor I believe you are best off expanding on what you already know and diversifying. Go the Controls rout for now and if you choose, you can always go back and re-visit the Power option. The key is to not limit yourself, never say to yourself this is good enough I don't need to learn more, make your mind up now to continue to climb the ladder of success by setting educational and career goals each time you achieve the last one. The more education the more choices you have. Who knows you may "own" your own company someday and inspire others to do the same. I have a friend that has a 12 page resume with all the education and training goals he has achieved listed. He makes 6 figures. The more the better when it comes to education and training. Keep a record!
Best regards,


Extrospector

 

[DTR2011]

One thing to consider is supply and demand. Nearly every power industry paper / presentation includes a mention that power engineers are retiring and there is a lack of folks entering the industry. Your combined skills as an electrician and a power engineer would certainly keep you employed for the foreseeable future.